heavy loads vs less paying light loads

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by angry_trucker, Jul 15, 2010.

  1. angry_trucker

    angry_trucker Light Load Member

    79
    52
    Aug 30, 2009
    0
    Hi...just wondering if someone has actually did the math on this one...
    Say you could pick between 2 loads going the same place...the heavy one (max allowed weight) is paying $5000 and light one (say half of the max) is paying $ 3500...going distance about 2800 miles, from which about 500 miles involves steep mountains...
    The truck is an average speced unit (in this case pre-emission detroit 60 but feel free to substitute your own)....with 13 speed eaton and 3.73 rear diff ratio...
    Which load would you take and why?

    I would take the light one.....my reasoning is, that the potential gains made by taking the heavy loads would be negated by lesser fuel mileage (as much as 1.5 MPG), more wear on the tires (expensive) and the added stress to all the drivetrain and components would in my opinion make it a losing proposal.
    So in the long run i think you would be actually making less money hauling heavy loads, altough on paper they pay more...

    But as i said......i didn't actually crank the numbers, because there are many things to be taken into consideration, like the cost of replacement parts which are affected (aside from the tires)
    Does anyone here have a different opinion?
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. Winchester Magnum

    Winchester Magnum Road Train Member

    1,492
    1,647
    Jan 4, 2009
    Alaska highway
    0
    I'll take loads for $5,000 Bob


    I would pick the heavy one for 5K. In your example you are saying you'd take the load that pays $1,500 LESS in order to save on fuel which at $3.00/gallon means you will save about $280, or .10 cents/mile, for that 2800 mile trip. The tire wear is in your in both examples insignificant. But for the $1,220 extra (after fuel difference) will buy 4 tires in one trip alone.

    Trucks are built to load. Fill 'er up and make money.
     
  4. Winchester Magnum

    Winchester Magnum Road Train Member

    1,492
    1,647
    Jan 4, 2009
    Alaska highway
    0
    Another way to look at this is the heavy load pays .54 cents/mile MORE
     
    lilillill Thanks this.
  5. lego1970

    lego1970 Medium Load Member

    504
    165
    Oct 10, 2008
    Blue Springs, Missouri
    0
    I agree with the above....

    Just doing rough calculations,

    light load...fuel at 6.0mpg and 15cpm for maintenance= $1400 fuel, $420 maintenance. Total $1820

    heavy load...fuel at 4.5mpg and 30cpm for maintenance= $1866 fuel, $840 maintenance. Total $2706

    Light load $3500 - $1820 = $1680
    Heavy load $5000 - $2706 = $2294

    $2294 - $1680 = $614

    At the absolute minimum your gonna get an extra $614 for the heavier load.

    While I definatly understand your thinking, and personaly when I had a truck, I would always pick lighter loads if the pay was within maybe say 10%max, the load was twice as light, and everything else was roughly the same, but in your example above the heavier load would still pay way more. That was with a 100% increase in maintenance, however if I had to take a guesstimate of what the actual extra wear would be on the truck over a 5 year period, I would say it maybe more like 25%. Eitherway, it's a good question and I've never seen any solid formula's on how to deal with that.
     
  6. MedicineMan

    MedicineMan Road Train Member

    5,799
    6,440
    Jan 13, 2007
    Woodville, TX
    0
    I know my detroit is extreamly weight sensitive when it comes to fuel consumption. Can be up to 2.5mpg difference. but even at that you're not saving enough in your example.

    of course sometimes it's just nice to have an easy light load :biggrin_25525:
     
  7. rbht

    rbht Heavy Load Member

    888
    525
    Jan 23, 2010
    CT,NH
    0
    I'll take the heavy load my truck runs about .5mpg more with a light load compared to at gross so the diffrence dont add up for me, lets figure this by years lets say for argument sake you take 30 lighter loads at $1500 less thats $45,000 your leaving at the shipper and not in your pocket thats a years worth of fuel for me a no brainer take the better paying load, plus i dont price my freight rates by weight i price by size a full load that is 48,000lbs is priced the same as a full load that is 20,000lbs.
     
  8. Winchester Magnum

    Winchester Magnum Road Train Member

    1,492
    1,647
    Jan 4, 2009
    Alaska highway
    0
    angry truckers examples translate to,

    Light load $1.25 mile

    Heavy load $1.79 mile

    I can't believe this is even up for debate.
     
  9. Roadmedic

    Roadmedic Road Train Member

    18,951
    8,978
    Apr 4, 2007
    0
    If the loads were within a few hundred of each other, I would take the light load.

    But to lose out on the difference here, is the lack of understanding math and the cost of operating a truck.
     
  10. angry_trucker

    angry_trucker Light Load Member

    79
    52
    Aug 30, 2009
    0
    Yes....when it comes to just the fuel alone its a no-brainer and the heavy load wins everytime....but what i was getting at was all the other components on the truck...like your brakes, bearings, bushings, differential, king pins, 5th wheel, clutch, all kinds off suspention components, and also dont forget the lifespan of the engine will be cut short without a doubt (just not sure by how much)...
    Im not sure how far ahead would you come if you considered the premature wear and the replacement cost of those parts?
     
  11. milskired

    milskired Road Train Member

    3,829
    1,401
    Jul 20, 2007
    Plainfield, IL
    0
    Stuff wears out on a truck though whether your hauling a light load here and there or all heavy loads. Everything man made breaks and wears out eventually so there is nothing preventing it. Like said above its 45K more a year! Thats a complete inframe and half a years fuel for hauling the heavy loads instead of those light ones. I dont see how this is even debatable???
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.